Elisabet Ney
| Elisabet Ney | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
Franzisca Bernadina Wilhelmina Elisabeth Ney January 26, 1833 Münster, Westphalia, Germany |
| Died | June 29, 1907 (aged 74) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Nationality | German American |
| Known for | Sculpture |
Franzisca Bernadina Wilhelmina Elisabeth Ney (26 January 1833, Münster — 29 June 1907, Austin, Texas) was a celebrated German-born sculptor who spent the first half of her life and career in Europe, producing portraits of famous leaders such as Otto von Bismarck, Giuseppe Garibaldi and King George V of Hanover. At age 39, she immigrated to Texas with her husband Edmund Montgomery and became a pioneer in the development of art there. Among her most famous works during her Texas period were life-size marble figures of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. A large group of her works are housed in the Elisabet Ney Museum, located in the artist's home and studio in Austin. Other works can be found in the Texas State Capitol, the US Capitol, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Ney was born in Münster, Westphalia, Germany to Johann Adam Ney, a stonecarver, and his wife Anna Elizabeth. The only other surviving child in the Ney family was her older brother Fritz. Her parents were Catholics of Alsatian-Polish heritage. She was the great-niece of Michel Ney, Marshal of France. Early in life, she declared her goal "to know great persons."
Ney grew up assisting her father in his work. She went on a weeks-long hunger strike when her parents opposed her becoming a sculptor, prompting her parents to request the assistance of their local bishop. They finally relented and in 1852, she became the first female sculpture student at the Munich Academy of Art by professor Max von Widnmann. She received her diploma on July 29, 1854. After graduating she moved to Berlin to study under Christian Daniel Rauch.
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